Blue Moon on my nose

It is the last day of the year and I don't want it to end.

Finally, the weather is beautiful. The past few weeks were exercises in low approaches, scary slick runways and taxiways and flying around the Midwest covered in ice.

It has been an interesting year. My logbook tells only part of the story: 1,905.6 hours, 448.4 of which were accumulated in 2009.

Out of that 448.4, 111.5 were at night, 99.4 were in instrument conditions and 63 flights ended in an instrument approach. I made 332 landings. Such is the life of a part-time freight pilot.

I never went missed on an approach, although I came close several times. I held exactly once, for exactly one turn around the pattern. The hold wasn't pretty but I'm sure I would have figured it out after a few more trips around the hold.

What the numbers don't reflect is the fun, the boredom, the uncertainty.

I am getting both better and worse as a pilot. Better because of the experience gained flying a light twin-engine airplane around the upper Midwest in some of the worst weather known to man. Worse because familiarity breeds complacency and this is not the job for the complacent.

I am ashamed to admit it, but I have not looked at a checklist in months. So far, I've remained disciplined with my flows, callouts for speeds and altitudes and approach briefings but even that is a struggle. More than once I've departed with the boost pumps off or forgotten to shut the pitot heat off after landing.

Oddly, I've also become far more cautious. Where a year ago I'd blindly choose the closest runway with almost flagrant disregard to the actual winds I've become far more picky, particularly with any form of contamination on the runway.

I've worked far harder to get out of icing conditions immediately where in the past I was comfortable waiting a while to see what happened. Interestingly, I'd say the end results have been about the same either way.

A side-effect has been that flying is, some days, less fun. Even on the worst weather days a year ago I was having fun. Now, it's somehow more serious.

All of which brings us to tonight.

It is a blue moon. The second full-moon of the month and New Year's Eve for good measure.

I've left Fargo, Aberdeen, Watertown and Marshall behind. Ahead is home and on my nose is a full moon. It is stunningly beautiful and I am smitten.

I live for these moments.

I really do have the best job in the world.